The Buzz

Had enough of the ALS #IceBucketChallenge yet? These fashion designers certainly have not. After her husband David and son Brooklyn got in on the fun, Victoria Beckham picked up the gauntlet thrown down by her friend Eva Longoria and got not one, but two buckets full of ice water poured over her head. The pressure threw the already-kneeling designer to the ground, who nominated her son Cruz, Katie Holmes and Tom Ford (we’re dying to see that one) to take the challenge next.

But perhaps the strangest interpretation of the challenge yet comes from Jean Paul Gaultier, who didn’t really carry out the challenge as he was supposed to. But, he’s an artist, so it’s OK for him to break the rules every once in awhile. First off, he starts the challenge already wet, submerged in a swimming pool from the waist down. We thought the point of the challenge was to see people actually get wet before our eyes, but you know, semantics. The designer also makes use of an “accessoire indispensable” — a dish cover — to protect his head from the hail of ice cubes. After his Speedo-clad pool boy dumps the water on Gaultier’s topper, the designer sinks down into the pool, still with the dish cover on his head, and swims away. A little bizarre? Oui. But it is demonstrative of why we love Gaultier so much.

So, who executed the #IceBucketChallenge better? We’re going to go with Victoria, although Gaultier’s efforts will always have a special place in our hearts. Victoria actually went from completely dry to completely wet, and though we always appreciate the opportunity to oogle a hottie in a Speedo, the dish cover, and the fact that Gaultier was already in the pool, sort of defeats the purpose.

Jessica Hart flashed much more than her gap-toothed grin for GQ in a steamy photoshoot and video wearing little more than her underwear. The Aussie supermodel dons a nipple-revealing sheer bra by Cosabella, a Michael Kors tank and a Burberry Brit bikini throughout her shoot with the men’s mag, plus some Manolo Blahnik heels and Tiffany & Co. jewellery for good measure.

In a little video called How to Date Jessica Hart, the blond babe shares with GQ what she likes in a man. “Be well-mannered and be sure of yourself, but not over-confident and don’t be too into yourself,” she said.

The predictable tips are hardly of any use for young chaps hoping to date the Victoria’s Secret model, though. She’s been off the market for years thanks to a man with a name that instantly makes you feel inferior, Stavros Niarchos III. You can see more of Jessica’s shoot with GQ here.

Prabal Gurung is the latest designer to make a foray into beauty, this time in partnership with MAC Cosmetics. Gurung has teamed up with the makeup brand on a limited edition range of color cosmetics that is due to bow just in time for the holiday season. Gurung says he got inspired by his mother’s daily makeup routine for this offering, and aimed to create a range that would make all women, regardless of ethnicity, feel beautiful.

Equally as important for the 14-piece collection was creating striking packaging. “I wanted the packaging to be beautiful,” Gurung told WWD. “So beautiful that when a woman takes it out of her purse, it becomes a topic of conversation.” And the pieces are certainly gab-worthy. Each product is housed in an all-gold or gold-accented package, flourished with a net-like pattern. And such flashy packaging doesn’t come cheap. Gurung’s collection is pretty pricey, especially for your typical MAC range. The eyeshadow duos will set you back $40 each, lipsticks and lip glosses ring in at $30, eye pencils will cost you $20, and the cream color base, bronzing powder and buffer brush are $70 a pop.

The collection will make its big debut November 26 at U.S. MAC stores, then internationally (save for China) in December. If you’re already stoked for the range, you won’t have to wait too long to see it in action. It will hit the runway during Gurung’s Spring 2015 show in early September, so have your eyes peeled on the catwalk for those beauty looks!

Alex Perry creates glamorous, elegant and sparkly pieces, right? So, we can’t imagine what he’d be able to whip up for the likes of Courtney Love. But the 50-year-old rocker and the Aussie designer have met up for a fitting amid her Australian tour, so we’re thinking she could be rocking some Alex Perry for her remaining concerts in Newcastle, Canberra and Sydney.

Alex posted a snap of himself and Courtney with their distinctive cheekbones thrust up against each other, complete with matching duck faces. At least we think that’s the look they were going for, but it’s always hard to tell with Courtney’s pout. The caption read, “@courtneylove I THINK IM IN LOVE!!!! BEST FITTING EVER!!!! #courtneylove #alexperry.”

Courtney followed suit with a much blurrier photo of the pair and a caption reading, “Aussies only ( and fabulous !) couturier! @alexperry #alexperry.” We knew that Alex was going for a younger, edgier look for his latest collections, but the news of him dressing Courtney has got our heads in a spin. It’s the last label we’d pick for her rough and grungy style. Let’s just hope no one throws a beer on her while sporting one of Alex’s designs because that would be a crying shame.

Numéro‘s September covers are the very latest to surface on our forums and are a total contrast from what the other publications have to offer. The magazine enlisted Karl Lagerfeld to photograph not one, but five covers for the all-important September issue. Models Sasha Luss, Lexi Boling and Maartje Verhoef were the mannequins of choice, shot in a 60s setup for each of the cover images. Sasha and Lexi both score two singular covers, while Maartje is seen only on the multi-girl cover (pictured below).

IMAGE CREDIT: GLOSSYNEWSSTAND.COM VIA TFS FORUMS

The contents of the issue are steadily becoming available for viewing via our forums, thanks to our savvy members. The fashion stories consist of Greg Kadel photographing Sabrina Ioffreda, Eniko Mihalik posing for Stephane Sednaoui and of course, the cover story, which is lensed by Lagerfeld in his signature black and white style. Not to mention the remaining editorials, which are sure to be a hit.

“I really wish they [would] export Sasha’s cover (any of the two). The group shot is unfortunate, but I’m afraid that’s the one we’ll get in the international market,” worried Srdjan, who has clearly picked out his favorite.

A.D.C. showed enthusiasm for Lagerfeld leaving the business: “I do get sick of Karl. Can he retire already???”

There seems to be a lot regarding Karl’s retirement. Is he past his best? Everyone raves about his collections for Chanel, but his photographic skills leave a lot to be desired from most of our forum’s like-minded members.

To view the rest of the covers as well as the fashion stories from Numéro‘s September 2014 issue, check out the thread and voice your own opinion here.

The world’s premier online luxury retailer, Net-a-Porter, took part in the celebrations of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week on Thursday. Held at the award-winning Qualia Resort in the Whitsunday Islands, Net-a-Porter showcased its designer offerings with a poolside fashion show.

In true Net-a-Porter form, the outfits, modelled by the likes of Nicole Trunfio and Alexandra Agoston, were all extremely beautiful. Think bohemian-luxe at its best, with flowing, side-split maxi dresses and loose-fitting, tailored pieces dominating the makeshift runway.

Big names like Nicole Warne, Amanda Shadforth and ELLE Australia Editor Justine Cullen were all in attendance and treated to a private style suite on-site. Tanja Gacic arrived in a red lace Lover dress and Isabel Lucas wore Valentino, which were easily our favourite outfits of the night.